You're on Your Own Kid (You Always Have Been)

It's Monday & I'm Here for You

Greetings, friend! It’s me, Jen Glantz. I love California. But I also love Brooklyn.

Perhaps you’re supposed to have many thrilling and devastating, gorgeous and ginormous loves in your life. You’re supposed to have people and places you don't ever stop thinking about and heartbreaks that almost ruin you, until years later you see just how much they made you - grow up.

You're supposed to live in different places, wrong places, places where the carpet stains smell like Febreze and places where you smell the ocean breeze.

You’re supposed to have stories that start off with an old friend of mine or a new friend of mine or a friend who walked out of your life when you didn’t have the courage to walk out of theirs first.

You’re supposed to fall in love and out of love and down a never ending slip and slide of love with a person whose meant to stumble along this adventure of life with you.

You’re supposed to have a napkin full of names and places and things you love because tell me this:

Have you ever met a person who had a long list of loves who said their life feels dull or wasted?

No.

We live to love and we love so that we can close our eyes and know that we did it - but we didn’t do it alone.

Los Angeles is one of those places I've lived to love but so is Brooklyn.

And if you’ve ever been madly in love with two things at once, you know how this story ends….

In this issue: A women who told me she’d make me famous, odd jobs for the holiday season, and the random pick-me-ups I needed the most this week.

Ps. If this newsletter looks a little different it’s because I gave it a makeover. I brought it over to a new platform that lets you comment below and read archives from the past - in case you miss a Monday.

Why you’re getting this: I'm Jen Glantz and this is The Pick-Me-Up newsletter. I've been sending it every Monday, for 8-years, to thousands of awesome humans, just like you. Thank you for letting this email live in in your inbox. It truly makes my heart explode with joy.

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You’re On Your Own Kid, You Always Have Been.

Years ago, I was licking cream cheese off my mouth when the lady next to me struck up conversation about the weather. We kept chatting and she shared she was a big time talent agent and manager. I shared I was an author and told her all about Bridesmaid for Hire.

“I’m going to make you a star,” she said, digging her left hand into the darkness of her purse and pulling out a beige business card.

The moment I had been waiting for all of my life was finally happening and it was happening in…a bagel store.

“Meet me at my office Monday morning at 1pm. Don’t be late. The address is on the card.”

I showed up thirty minutes early and walked circles around her office. I prepared my pitch. I brushed my hair. I thought of every question she could ask. I brought my favorite pen to sign on the dotted line when she asked if she could officially represent me.

I swiped on extra deodorant. I gave myself a hug.

I walked inside and approached the receptionist.

Jen Glantz here! I’m ready to be a star!

Except I didn’t say that. The words bubbled in my throat.

“Jen Glantz here. I have a 1pm with Leslie.”

She looked me up and down. Suggested I was in the wrong place.

I showed her the business card. It has cream cheese on it.

“That’s great,” she said. “Except Leslie isn’t here. She’s back in Europe. She’s gone.”

I felt my cheeks light on fire. I felt my heart collapse like a deflated balloon.

“That’s not possible. She told me to meet her here today.”

The receptionist laughed.

“The exit is to the left,” she said.

I refused to leave. I refused to go home without talking to someone. Anyone.

They sat me on a couch in the lobby and sent an intern. I gave my pitch. She rolled her eyes.

I emailed Leslie 25 times over the past five years. I’ve called plenty. I never heard from her again.

I come back to this bagel spot 3-4x a year. I think of her. I hope to see her.

I want her to know I don’t need her to make me a star.

I don’t need anyone.

I’m going to do this myself.

And I am NEVER giving up.

Tiny Pick-Me-Ups

A podcast to help you not feel so overwhelmed as you ease into the last month of the year.

If you need a more upbeat pick-me-up today, here’s a good playlist of songs to let linger in the background.

A book if you need boundaries —- we all need more boundaries.

Odd jobs to make a little extra cash during the holiday season.

Get your life BACK ON TRACK. Here’s how.

If this week feels a bit overwhelming, play this white noise in the background to tune out some stress.

Random Little Pick-Me-Ups

Spending this week re-stocking the essentials in my house for the next 6-months. I stocked up on my:

Favorite Sunscreen (20% off at Target for Circle members and I wear this brand daily - year-round)

Favorite all-natural body wash and deodorant (30% off - I get the coconut/buttercream)

Favorite all-natural toothpaste ($12 for 2 tubes)

Favorite face mask (25-30% off)

Favorite hand soap (splurging for the first time)

Favorite clean beauty lipstick ($5 off - I buy 3 at a time)

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I’ll be back next week with a new Monday Pick-Me-Up. Until then, I leave you with this:

My mantra of the week is: Life can feel harder than you think it will feel, especially during seasons like this one.

Go easy, go slow, give yourself grace. Don’t let anyone pull you into the final month of the year. Walk there solo.

Until next Monday, I'll be cheering you on! Have an epic week.

Jen Glantz